Entertaining

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Hanukkah is a holiday renowned for its rich symbolism and traditions, but homeowner Ellie Metrick also sees it as an opportunity for elegant entertaining. As a great-granddaughter of the founder of Toronto decor destination Elte, Ellie has a natural flair for playing the fabulous host. With the help of her decorator friend, Jessica Waks, she placed a contemporary spin on the holiday’s age-old customs for a crafty cocktail party on the last night of Hanukkah. Here are 12 fresh ideas to inspire your own soiree.

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12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Branch out

Home-owner Ellie Metrick’s warm and inviting living room is the perfect spot for an informal Hanukkah gathering. A centrepiece of decorative branches adorned with ornaments and nestled into a glass vase filled with gelt (foil-wrapped chocolate coins) acts as the focal point.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Make gifts sparkle

Felt charms and layers of ribbon and fabric lend a luxe glamour to gifts.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

See stars

A Bundt cake baked in a special Star of David-shaped pan is ready to be served on the painterly blue appetizer plates sitting beside it.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Easy party trick

Use your party palette to amplify your everyday decor for an ultra-unified yet festive look.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Draw your cards

The modern and sculptural silver menorah holds colour-blocked candles that set Ellie’s Carrara marble kitchen counter-top aglow. Surrounding it are her homemade party invites, crafted using rubber stamps and textured paper to produce a pop art take on some of Hanukkah’s quintessential symbols: the dreidel, menorah and Star of David.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Eat a lat(ke)

Fried potato pancakes called latkes are served at Hanukkah celebrations as a nod to the miracle of a single day’s worth of oil burning for eight nights in the Temple of Jerusalem in the second century BCE – and they’re also incredibly tasty and easy to whip up when company comes over. Ellie likes to garnish hers with sour cream, sea salt and chives, but for a sweet spin on the same treat, try topping with applesauce.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Fashion festive flourishes

Go beyond the expected store-bought wrapping paper and get themed toppers to take your presents to the next level – it’s the best first impression your gift can give.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Create a dazzling display

Hanukkah meets Willy Wonka in this dazzling display, where retro rock candy in berry blues and icy white gets propped up in a vase full of silver-wrapped gelt.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Stock the bar

What would a cocktail party be without a fully stocked bar cart? Ellie uses hers to reinforce the palette: The clean, contemporary lines of the chrome and glass cart play off the graphic blue and white abstract artwork above it.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Serve bite-sized treats

Ellie serves bite-sized nibbles both savoury and sweet – like the sufganiyot, which she reimagined as donut holes in lieu of the typical large jelly version – on her sleek minimalist dining table, perfect for guests to gather around. The ethereal starburst chandelier (shown on the following page) adds to the festive vibe.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Light it up

Ellie created traditional Hanukkah decor out of atypical everyday pieces. This menorah was easily fashioned from white taper candles, glass votive holders and blue sand – all inexpensive dollar store finds. Though the lighting of the official menorah is steeped in tradition, this ersatz option offers Ellie’s guests a chance to participate and get into the spirit.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jessica Waks
Source: Stacey Brandford

12 elegant Hanukkah entertaining tips

Bake your mark

Here’s a simple yet stylish party favour: Cookies in symbolic shapes in the vibrant blue and white palette. Guests can snack on them while visiting or take a few home for a tasty midnight treat.